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The curved-seam Robbing Peter to Pay Paul quilt block uses one central Pattern A piece and four surrounding Pattern B pieces; the AllPeopleQuilt version finishes at 8¾ inches square. Match the curve’s center marks, pin carefully, and sew the pieces right sides together. Because the name has been used for different designs, identify the version by its geometry before choosing a pattern.
What the Robbing Peter to Pay Paul block looks like
In the curved-seam version described by AllPeopleQuilt, one central shape joins four curved surrounding pieces. Its instructions call the center Pattern A and the surrounding pieces Pattern B. The block measures 8¾ inches square when finished, according to that pattern.
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Block names are not always exclusive or fixed. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History notes that names can change over time, by region, and as variations develop. A secondary tutorial reports a different design published under this name by the Ladies Art Company in 1897 and later called Arizona; that account is not independently verified by the museum records cited here. Check the pieces and diagram of a pattern rather than relying on its name alone.
How to sew the curved-seam version
Cut the pieces for the AllPeopleQuilt block
The tutorial’s materials list specifies an 11-inch square each of solid red fabric and muslin. Cut one Pattern A piece and four Pattern B pieces using the pattern pieces provided with that version. Its 8¾-inch measurement is the finished block size, not the cut size.
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Match and sew each curve
- Place the pieces right sides together and align the center marks along the curved seam.
- Pin the curve generously, securing the ends and intermediate points as well as the center. AllPeopleQuilt recommends slender pins that pick up only a few threads at each position.
- Sew the seam slowly, removing each pin before the needle reaches it.
- Press the seam allowance toward the solid red piece, as the tutorial directs.
Center marks provide a useful starting point for distributing the curved edges between their ends. Pinning at several points helps keep the fabric edges aligned while you sew.
Template piecing or paper-foundation piecing?
Both methods are documented for curved versions of the block. The sources do not establish a universally best method or a measured difficulty level; choose based on how you prefer to control curves and whether you are making one block or repeating it.
| Method | What the cited instructions establish | Practical consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Templates | AllPeopleQuilt’s version uses one A piece and four B pieces, with center marks to align the curves. | Use the templates for the specific version you intend to make. Accurate matching and pinning guide the curved seam. |
| Paper foundation | A Quilt Alliance-hosted pattern uses a square for Patch 1 and curve-pieces patches 2 through 5 on paper foundations. | Paper foundations can provide a repeatable guide, but they must be removed after sewing. The pattern’s 144 foundations are for its large quilt project, not a single block. |
Historical quilts carrying the pattern name
Museum and quilt-register records show quilts identified with this pattern name, but they document particular objects rather than the block’s first origin.
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History: A U.S.-made cotton quilt dated 1900–1925 has Robbing Peter to Pay Paul chain blocks alternating with plain blocks quilted in floral patterns. White and green floral-print fabrics appear in the quilt, and a 6½-inch border in the same fabrics frames the pieced center. The overall size is 101 by 88 inches (257 by 224 cm).
- Birmingham Museum of Art: A quilt by Mae Inman Key (1889–1991) is cataloged as a Robbing Peter to Pay Paul pattern, about 1910. Its recorded dimensions are 81 by 74¼ inches. This is an object date, not evidence of when the design began. View the museum record.
- National Quilt Register: An Australian-held quilt is attributed by family history to about 1915 and said to have been made for Lily Balmour by women of the Reorganised Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The record says it was later cut down and rejoined after wear; both the date and provenance are approximate family-history information. View the register.
The Journal of Folklore and Education’s Black Diaspora Quilt History Project also mentions a navy-print-and-white Robbing Peter to Pay Paul block in its discussion of blocks documented through quilt-history sources. Its article situates that material within efforts to document African American women’s quiltmaking; consult its referenced source for deeper historical claims.
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